Fires burn across the west

Across the West, more than 40 wildfires have prompted evacuations and emergency declarations in Nevada, Oregon, California, Colorado and other states.

The Martin Fire in Nevada, the largest wildfire in the U.S. this season and the biggest in state history, was 95 precent contained by Wednesday, July 18. The fire scorched 435,596 acres, devastating sage grouse and sagebrush habitat, which could take up to a decade to recover.

More than 150 wildfires are burning in Oregon alone, where Gov. Kate Brown issued an emergency declaration in response to the Substation Fire. In the eastern part of the state, an unlikely tool is being tested for its ability to reseed fire-damaged rangelands: a pasta machine.

Firefighters are battling difficult conditions at the Ferguson Fire burning near Yosemite National Park in California. One firefighter has been killed, and two injured so far.

Throughout Colorado, more than 175,000 acres have burned this season, and temperatures in the triple digits could contribute to fire growth.